Do you feel tired?  Overwhelmed?  Overscheduled?  Overworked?

Yeah, me too.  I feel like life time is moving too fast, but I think it’s me that is.  Don’t fret -this isn’t a “stop and smell the roses” post.  This is a “I think I figured out why Farmville is addicting” post.

I’ve been wondering for over year what the HECK is up with Farmville.  I’ve never played it because I’ve heard it’s addicting, and frankly I’m a little insulted that there is such a thing.  I’ve harvested peppers -real peppers.  I’ve fed cows -real cows.  I’ve worked hard and harvested hard (and yes.  “Harvest” in this sense refers to both the peppers AND the cows).  There’s no way to click your way to satisfaction in this sense!  You have to strain yourself!

I’ve often watched a youtube video that depicts some of my feelings perfectly.

I must say: my feelings have changed.
No, no. I haven’t started playing farmville. And I never will.
But Saturday, I watched my simple children play Fruit Ninja on my brothers’ iphones.
The point of the game is this: use your finger to “chop” fruit that is falling on the screen.

So easy even a small child can do it.
I got a kick out of watching them, and my son -after even one successful “chop” would parade around the house.
“I got da STAW-BERRY!”
Okay, fruit ninja. Good job, I guess.
Last night, my husband gave me some very direct instructions. “At ten to seven, I want you to draw yourself a hot bath and light some candles. Put on some soothing music and soak for however long you want. After your bath is over, put on some of your most comfortable pajamas and wait for me.”
When my bath was over and my pj’s were on, he gave me the nicest back massage and then put the kids to bed while I relaxed in my bed.
I had a long day Saturday, one that left my body aching all over. I can’t tell you how much I needed that massage! But I can tell you how much I appreciated it -SO much!

I pulled out some of my old blog entries that I’ve printed out and started reading through them and after the kids were in bed, my husband crawled in bed next to me. He pulled his ipod out and started playing games, and I started reading out loud. The old blog entries were funny -one about a mouse crawling across my bare toes, one about my utter lack of imperturbability.
Pretty soon, I noticed the sounds coming from my husband’s ipod.
“Are you playing angry birds?!” I asked.
“I just want to see what all the fuss is about,” he shrugged.

I’ve never played. I never will play. I’ve heard it’s addicting and frankly, I don’t like the idea of the whole thing.

I stared on in wonder as my husband slung birds at pigs and giggled like a school girl, and then I realized something monumental:
Angry Birds and Farmville give people the simple escape they crave so much.
Live is so crazy, so full, so frustrating, that sometimes the best cure is something extraordinarily SIMPLE.

On that note, I’d love to take a survey of people who have made family mottos this year. I’m willing to bet about 60% chose “SIMPLIFY” as their motto.

 

I have my own “farmvilles” and “angry birds.” They are crocheting and putting on an apron to simply READ a cookbook from the 50s (a simpler time).

My mom came over and put this book in my hands.
It wasn’t even Christmas!

I’ve got a friend who promises to play Florence while I’ll take the part as Irma. We’re going to bake. In aprons.

And so who am I to judge Farmville? It stands for everything I support! Cows, chickens, peppers, and SIMPLICITY.
That doesn’t mean I’ll play and that definitely does not mean I’m going to take up slinging birds at pigs despite my husband’s insistence that I’d really like it.
Please honey. Leave the gaming to the childrens.

(See my brother Steve’s hand? After I snapped the two pictures of my kids, he said “You’re getting blogged” to my daughter. She didn’t respond either because she was a) too wrapped up in chopping fruit or b) it was old news.)